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  • Testing / Performance

  • Physical Tour

  • Components

  • Design / Layout

  • Modes

  • Control Options

  • Image Parameters

  • Connectivity / Extras

  • Overall Impressions

  • Conclusion

  • Specs

  • Testing / Performance
  • Physical Tour
  • Components
  • Design / Layout
  • Modes
  • Control Options
  • Image Parameters
  • Connectivity / Extras
  • Overall Impressions
  • Conclusion
  • Specs

Testing / Performance

To test the accuracy of the SD500’s color reproduction, we recorded several exposures of the industry standard GretagMacbeth color chart, composed of 24 color tiles. The images were then uploaded into Imatest Imaging Software to determine how accurate or errant each color is. The chart below is a modified version of the original GretagMacbeth chart. The outer squares represent the color produced by the camera, while the small inner rectangle is the original hue and representative of the tonal ideal. The inner square indicates what the camera’s produced colors would look like when uploaded into a software application.

 

Below is a graphical representation of the same color breakdown. The circles represent the colors produced by the Canon PowerShot SD500. The squares represent the ideal colors from the GretagMacbeth chart. The distance between the two shapes expresses the degree of error for that tone. The greater the distance between the two shapes, the less accurate that particular color is.

 

The Canon PowerShot SD500 performed well, earning an overall color score of 8.12. The most noticeable variance between the SD500’s produced colors and the corresponding ideals occurred in the warm red and pink tones, primarily #15, #17, and #9. Although these colors are not accurately reproduced by the SD500, many point-and-shoot digital cameras tend to over-embellish these hues anyway to glamorize skin tones and minimize the appearance of blemishes. For most other tones, the SD500 hovered near the ideal. The overall mean color error was just 7.33 which is quite respectable. For a comparison, the SD110 received a 6.37, the A95 scored a 7.07, and the older S500 achieved a 7.89 overall color score. Canon may attribute the improved color reproduction to the addition of the Digic II imaging processor that reads image information from the 1/1.8-inch CCD.

Still Life Scene

Below is a colorful still life scene photographed by the Canon PowerShot SD500.

[

Click on the above image to view a full resolution version (CAUTION: The linked image is very large!)](../viewer.php?picture=CanonSD500-StillLifeLG.jpg)

Resolution / Sharpness ***(5.28)*
**The SD500 aims for victory in the point-and-shoot megapixel war with 7.4 total megapixels on its large 1/1.8-inch CCD. The SD500 couples an improved Canon Digic II imaging processor with this CCD to maximize the 7.1 advertised effective megapixels. To learn how many megapixels are actually at work, our resolution test aims to find the active number of pixels at work in forming an image. We conduct these tests using an industry standard ISO 12233 resolution chart and Imatest Imaging Software. After recording several exposures of the chart and determining the exact number of pixels used to form the images with Imatest, we assign scores for both an active megapixel count and a percentage of that pixel count contrasted the advertised resolution. This is done to provide a means of comparison across cameras. A camera that scores within 70 percent of its count is "good"; within 80 percent is "very good' and anything exceeding 85-90 percent is considered "excellent" and a very rare find.

[

Click on the chart above to view a full resolution image](../viewer.php?picture=CanonSD500-ResCH-LG.jpg)

The Canon PowerShot SD500 recorded 5.28 megapixels, which is the most of any compact digital camera we’ve tested (though this also advertises the most of any compact model). This accounts for 75 percent of Canon’s advertised 7.1 effective megapixels, giving it a "good" designation. Therefore, for point-and-shooters who like to mess around in postproduction software and play with and crop segments of the frame, this camera is strong enough to take it.

**Noise Auto ISO ***(5.58)*

Consumers who rely on the automatic mode, take note: the ISO ratings cannot be adjusted on the SD500 when using auto setting. We tested the SD500’s automatic ISO setting under bright light (exceeding 300 Lux) to determine how effectively the camera handles noise in optimal conditions — and the Canon PowerShot SD500 performed very well. With a 5.58 score, the PowerShot SD500 performed well beyond other Canon point-and-shoot models that we’ve tested in auto ISO mode. The earlier S500 scored a dismal 3.77 and the SD110 scored a noisy 1.87. The Canon PowerShot SD500 is reliable, producing clean pictures using the automatic setting when shooting under strong interior lighting or in daylight. To see how the camera performs in less favorable lighting, refer the manual ISO section below.

**Noise Manual ISO ***(4.06)*

In theory, manually controlled ISO settings should perform better than the automatic mode. This theory holds true in most of our testing, although occasionally, a camera will perform very poorly at one or two ISO steps and those one or two scores will drag the average manual noise score below the automatic noise score (which typically functions on a truncated ISO range). We tested the Canon SD500 at each of its available ISO ratings and put the results into a regression analysis to determine an overall manual ISO noise score. The results are broken down in the graph below to display the camera’s performance at each ISO setting; the horizontal axis indicates the camera’s ISO ratings and the vertical axis represents the corresponding noise at that setting.

 

There is good news and bad news about the SD500’s manual ISO capabilities - which resulted in an overall manual ISO noise score of 4.06. Good news: the SD500 performed exceptionally well at the 50 and 100 ISO settings. Bad news: the SD500 performed dismally at the 200 and 400 ISO ratings. In fact, this model performed similarly to, though slightly improved from its descendant, the SD110, which earned the worst ISO 400 rating we’ve ever tested. The SD500 handles noise in a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde fashion: when used outside (daylight) or in bright indoor settings, the camera produces clean images with impressive definition (in both manual and automatic ISO settings), but when used in less favorable lighting requiring the ISO 200 or 400 setting, the camera’s evil side takes over and produces images that are riddled with noise and overwhelmed by distortion.

**Low Light ***(7.0)*

Our low light tests aim to isolate the sensitivity of the imager and determine the camera’s point of limitation. We test each camera at four decreasing light levels; 60, 30, 15, and 5 Lux. These light levels replicate common low light conditions; 60 Lux appears as a soft-lit bedroom might after dark, 30 Lux equates to about a single 40 watt lightbulb, and 15 and 5 Lux indicate how the camera performs in relative darkness. This progression is designed to illustrate the camera’s gradual deterioration of image quality and reproduction capabilities in diminishing light, thus indicating how far the camera can be pushed before it is essentially useless. This acts as a guide for indoor, night, and close subject photography in which lighting is compromised.

*Click on any of the above images for additional analysis *

In light (no pun intended) of the camera’s glaring difficulty suppressing noise using the ISO 400 rating, the SD500 performed surprisingly well in low light conditions. Issues with noise are still apparent, but even at 15 Lux, the SD500 is able to reproduce color with some accuracy and it is not until light was dropped to 5 Lux that color issues became considerable. At 5 Lux, the captured subject remained defined and apparent in the frame. This is impressive for a compact camera, though it should not be overlooked — anything shot at ISO 400 using the PowerShot SD500 will be plagued with noise!!

Speed / Timing
Startup to First Shot (7.5)

The Canon SD500 takes 2.5 seconds to start up and take its first shot. This is fast enough to get by as a point-and-shoot, but it seems to be falling behind the competition.

Shot to Shot (9.46)

The burst mode is surprisingly strong on this model. I used the included 32 MB SD card for the first test and was floored when the 2 frame-per-second burst mode didn’t stop after four or five frames. Most compact models take a few frames at a decent clip, then pause for five seconds or so to write to the card. With the 32 MB card, I could only take nine pictures at full resolution, so I grabbed a larger 256 MB card to see if there was any limit to the SD500’s burst mode. After 70 consecutive pictures at a consistent rate (the card couldn’t hold any more!), I am convinced that this is one of the best burst modes available on a compact digital camera. At such high resolution, this is quite impressive. In the spread of exposures, the camera shot as fast as 0.46 and as slow as 0.64, but hovered around 0.54 seconds in between shots. Impressive indeed!!

Shutter to Shot (8.66)

This digital camera doesn’t waste any time, taking the picture 0.17 seconds after the shutter release button is pressed.

Physical Tour

**

Front ***(8.0)*

The front face of the SD500 is completely flat; even the lens barrel is flush with the camera body. It is rectangular-shaped except for the left side, which has a soft curve to it. At the apex of the curve is an oval-shaped shiny metallic highlight, which runs over the side and functions as a wrist strap loop. Just to the right of this front highlight is the vertically aligned Canon logo in a textured silver color. To the right of the logo are the words "PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH," also vertically aligned.

To the right of the branding mania is the optical zoom lens, which sits flush with the camera body when the SD500 is turned off. On the outer base of the barrel, a light-colored text reads "7.1 Megapixels." On the inner rim are the words, "Canon Zoom Lens 3x, 7.7-23.1mm, 1:2.8-4.9." Above the lens and to the left is a small hole in the camera body; this is the microphone. Directly above the lens is the optical viewfinder, with the AF assist beam / self-timer lamp to its left. In the top right corner is the built-in flash.

Back*(7.5)*

The back of the SD500 is also quite flat, except for the raised buttons and slightly raised LCD screen. The 2-inch LCD takes up the left side of the back; just beneath it is yet another Canon logo. Above the right side of the LCD screen is the circular viewfinder (don’t worry — there’s a rectangular frame inside) with two LEDs to its left. To the right of the screen are all of the camera’s controls.

At the top where the thumb naturally rests is the mode dial, which also acts as a pseudo-grip for the thumb. This dial is not notched like most dials, but has a single protrusion surrounded by two divots. The following modes are represented by icons on this dial: Playback, Auto, Manual, Scene, and Movie.

Below the mode dial and to the left is the Print and Share button, which has a print icon above it and a LED in its center. Below this button is the navigational dial, which functions to not only scroll through menus, but to change certain exposure settings while recording. The navigational dial consists of a solid circular ring that surrounds a button labeled "Func. Set." Each direction on the dial has a slight protrusion for grip. The top of the dial doubles as a metering mode switch in recording mode and the Jump function in playback mode. The right portion of the dial changes flash settings; the left side switches the focus mode to macro or infinity. The bottom of the dial can be used to put the camera in the continuous shooting mode or self-timer in recording mode. When in playback mode, the bottom part of the dial acts as the delete function. All of these functions are labeled with graphics next to the dial. Below the dial are two buttons. On the left is the "Disp." button that provides shooting information or turns off the LCD screen. On the right is the Menu button. Overall, the layout of the back is fairly traditional and intuitive, but looks busy with all the icons and buttons.


**Left Side ***(7.5)*

The left side of the PowerShot SD500 is completely free of features. It is covered in a darker gray panel, framed within the lighter silver casing of the camera body. On the panel, there are four tiny protrusions, one in each corner. When this camera is properly held, users shouldn’t need the marks for gripping; however, they add some interest to the otherwise vacant left side.


**Right Side ***(7.5)*

This side of the camera has a similar dark gray panel, but the top one-third of it detaches and slides upwards and away from the camera, revealing the A/V out and USB ports. This little cover is labeled "A/V out, Digital" and is connected by a thin strip of rubber. There is a tiny divot below this cover door, but it is not quite wide enough for a fingernail; it will require some prying to access the ports. Below the cover and centered on the right side is the metallic highlight that runs over from the front of the camera. This highlight has a loop in it for attaching the wrist strap. The right side slopes slightly upward to the front.


**Top ***(8.0)*

There is yet more labeling on the top of the camera. On the left side is the name of the camera: "PowerShot SD500 Digital ELPH." Below these words are the letters "AiAF." Directly below these letters are five oval-shaped holes in a smile-shape orientation; these act as the built-in speaker. On the right side of the top, there is a set of buttons surrounded by a dark gray panel. On the left side of this panel is the power button, labeled "On/Off" and highlighted with a green LED in its center. On the same panel, off to the right, is the shutter release button surrounded by the zoom switch. A protrusion in the front of the zoom switch makes it easy to toggle to the right for telephoto and left for wide-angle views.

Components

**

Viewfinder ***(4.0)*

The Canon PowerShot SD500 has a real image optical viewfinder that looks circular from the outside, but contains a rectangular frame within the window. The optical viewfinder zooms along with the lens and provides a decent view of the subject. It is not completely accurate, but is better than most optical viewfinders on compact models, though the viewfinder itself is significantly smaller. When users frame a tall person in the viewfinder, they can cut off the person’s shins and feet and still get a print of a full person. The viewfinder cuts the view a little from the sides as well as the bottom , but not from the top.

**

LCD Screen ***(7.0)*

The 2-inch LCD screen is very responsive, but with 118,000 pixels, images are not as clear as they should be. The low-temperature polycrystalline silicon LCD screen boasts 100 percent coverage, so photographers can always be sure their subjects are framed properly. The brightness of the screen can be adjusted in the setup menu. 14 steps of brightness provide users with a range versatile enough for indoor and outdoor shooting. The only point of contention here is the quality of the displayed image — if users don’t mind a pixillated rendering of the shot, the LCD screen should do.

**

Flash ***(8.0)*

With a small built-in flash, the SD500 has a nice range of modes: Auto, Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, Flash On with Red-Eye Reduction, Flash On, Flash Off, and Slow Sync. The flash lights subjects from 1.6-16.4 feet away, which extends a bit farther than many compact digital cameras. The flash also works in macro mode, illuminating subjects from 1-1.6 feet, although the burst of light casts thick, dark shadows that are uncontrollable. The result is a high-contrast exposure with dark blacks and extremely washed out highlights.

**

Zoom Lens ***(7.0)*

An all-glass 7.7-23.1mm optical zoom lens, which is equivalent to a 37-111mm lens in 35mm format, graces the front of this Digital ELPH. This 3x zoom lens comes with an additional 4x digital zoom, which should be avoided (all digital zooms deteriorate image quality). In the normal shooting mode, the lens focuses from 1.6 feet to infinity. In macro mode, the lens focuses as close as 2 inches and as far as 1.6 ft. With two variable aperture settings from f/2.8 in wide and f/4.9 in telephoto, the lens actually makes a clicking noise when switching between smaller and larger openings. The clicking within the lens is accompanied by a dramatic change of lighting that can be seen on the LCD screen.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance*(8.5)*

Canon’s Digital ELPH series aims for style and appeal, exhibited by the SD500’s slim profile and attractive silver finish. The camera is rectangular with a slight curve on the left side (when viewed from the front). This model departs from the series’ sharp, flat lines with its "Perpetual Curve Design" apparent on the side with the right-hand grip. The surfaces remain fairly flat, as the camera is designed more for portability than shooting comfort. The SD500 is built for slipping in a pocket and taking a few shots at a party — not for two-hour photo shoots on the sideline of a basketball court. Canon engineers developed the curve design to make the camera more comfortable to hold; however, it’s still not sufficient for extended periods of photography. Canon didn’t sacrifice style; the brushed steel color with shiny highlights and attractive design makes for quite a sexy piece of machinery.

Size / Portability*(8.0)*

With compact dimensions of 3.52 x 2.24 x 1.04 inches (8.2 in3), the SD500 maintains the slim sizing of the Digital ELPH line. This model appears similar in size to the SD400, but trades the sharp lines for rounder edges. The SD500 has completely flat surfaces and can slip comfortably in a pocket or purse. The camera weighs 6 ounces without a battery or memory card, but the inclusion of those accessories does not supply much additional weight. The camera has an appropriate weight and feel: if it were any lighter, it would cheapen the feel and if it were much heavier, it would feel awkward in that slight form.

**Handling Ability ***(7.0)*

The strength of the Canon PowerShot SD500’s design is its compact, transportable form, which is small enough to smoothly slip in a pocket, while offering rounded accents for comfortable shooting. For this trendy and compact design, consumers will have to forgo certain handling features like right-hand grips and ergonomically pleasing surfaces. The SD500 opts instead for subtle grips. For example, the textured Canon logo on the front acts as a rudimentary finger support. Meanwhile, the right thumb rests on the main mode dial on the back of the camera, which also acts as a grip. While the SD500 doesn’t have the strongest gripping or handling configuration available, users can hang onto the slim body just fine if they don’t slather up with sunscreen just prior to use.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size ***(7.0)*

Most buttons and controls found on the PowerShot SD500 are all adequately sized, spaced, and intuitively placed (i.e. the Display button is located next to the LCD screen). The general layout of controls on the SD500 makes it instantly accessible to users of all levels. I have only two complaints. First, the mode dial can be hard to turn; the gripping protrusion is quite small and the angle it must be turned at is not conducive to comfort or quick changes. Second, the icons that label the buttons are not physically close enough to the buttons to avoid confusion. For example, the button on the back with the LED has a print icon directly above it and a metering icon and the word "Jump" just to the right. The icons to the right are meant for the navigational dial. But this confusion will not last long, as new users can quickly adapt to the SD500’s interface.

**Menu ***(7.0)*

Menus can be accessed by pushing the Menu button in the bottom right corner of the camera. The menus pop up over a gray background, so unfortunately, live views are not available with these options. There are three colored tabs at the top that look (and act) like file folders; the tabs have icons on them of a playback or camera symbol, tools, and a person with a camera. Below the selected tab is a list of menu options in black and white writing. The options in black lettering are deactivated. Both text and icons are available in the menus, but users are more likely to depend on the text because the icons are so small.

The middle menu tab, marked with the tool graphic, is the setup menu. It has the following options: Mute, Volume, LCD Brightness, Power Saving, Date/ Time, Clock Display, Format, File No. Reset, Auto Rotate, Language, and Video System. The tab on the right that has the person with the camera is the My Camera mode, where users can customize control settings. The following options are available within that menu: Theme, Start-up Image, Start-up Sound, Operation Sound, Self-timer Sound, and Shutter Sound.

The first tab of the menu changes when the mode dial is rotated into different modes. When the camera is in Playback mode, the tab becomes a playback icon and has these options: Protect, Rotate, Sound Memo, Erase All, Slide Show, Print Order, and Transfer Order. In the other modes, the tab has an icon of a camera. In the Auto mode, the options are shortened to Self-timer, AF-assist Beam, Digital Zoom, Review, and Date Stamp. In the Manual mode, AiAF, Long Shutter, and Stitch Assist options are added to the auto menu’s list. The Scene menu only adds AiAF to the automatic menu. The Movie mode menu is shortened to three options: Self-timer, AF-assist Beam, and Digital Zoom.

Exposure settings can be set in a different menu, which appears when the "Func. Set" button is pushed. A menu appears that is composed mainly of icons; it's an overlay to the pictured image, so live views are available in this menu. Once again, the selected mode determines the choice of options. In the

Automatic mode, users can only choose Compression and Image Size. In the Manual mode, users can scroll up and down through the following options: Shooting Mode (Manual, Digital Macro, My Colors), Exposure Compensation, White Balance, ISO, Picture Effects, Compression, and Image Size. The Scene mode menu lets users choose between the different scenes, Exposure Compensation, and Image Size. In Movie mode, the following selections can be made: Mode, White Balance, Picture Effect, Frame Rate, and Image Size.

Overall, the menus are easy to understand and easy to navigate. Arrows show the user which way to scroll and text commands will occasionally pop up to aid users, though live feeds would have helped immensely.

**Ease of Use ***(7.0)*

This Digital ELPH is simple to use with intuitive menus that are easy to navigate along with an automatic mode that blocks access to manual options. Manual controls are not completely buried in menus, although menus are found in two different places, which can be somewhat confusing at first. The layout of the camera is only complicated by the abundance of icons. Canon had ease of use in mind when they included the Print/Share button with LED light.

Modes

**Auto Mode ***(7.5)*

The PowerShot SD500’s auto mode blocks access to the camera’s manual functions, so users can only choose Image Size and Compression settings from the Set menu. Metering modes and the burst mode are not available in the automatic setting, but flash and macro shooting can still be accessed.

Movie Mode*(8.0)*

Video images are recordable on the SD500 and are only limited in duration by the size of the memory card in use. Since the Canon PowerShot SD500 can record up to 1GB on a Secure Digital memory card, photographers have plenty of space to record movie clips. There are three sizes that movies can be recorded at: 640 x 480, 320 x 240, and 160 x 120. The first two sizes record at a selectable 30 or 15 frames per second. The smaller 160 x 120 option can record for 3 minutes at 15 frames per second; this is most suitable for emailing and web posting. Like other SD models, namely the SD200, SD300 and SD400, the SD500 has a Fast Frame Rate movie mode. This mode shoots 320 x 240 pixels at 60 frames per second — for up to one minute.

The optical zoom is disabled in movie mode, but there is limited digital zoom available in the Standard mode (as opposed to the Compact 160 x 120 mode and Fast Frame mode). Users can zoom from 1-12x digital zoom in the Standard mode. In the other movie modes, there is no optical or digital zoom.

**Drive / Burst Mode ***(7.5)*

The Canon PowerShot SD500 has a decent burst rate that shoots 2 frames per second. Some compact digital cameras have recently included 3-frame-per-second burst modes, but many compacts still hover in the 1-2 frame-per-second range — the SD500 being one of them. I still see the speed of the SD500 as one of its stronger attributes.

**Playback Mode ***(8.0)*

The Playback mode is conveniently placed on the main mode dial and allows photographers to view their pictures in single frames, index pages, or slide shows. When images are viewed in single frames, Canon’s Intelligent Orientation technology automatically rotates images to the correct view. Individual images can be magnified up to 10x; histograms can also be viewed. Sound memos up to 60 seconds can be added to each image file. Images can be displayed in index frames of nine thumbnails per page. Users can search for photos by jumping 10 or 100 images, jumping to the next JPEG or MPEG-4 file, or jumping to the next shooting date. Movie clips can be played back normally, in slow motion, or even frame by frame — all with sound.

**Custom Image Presets ***(6.5)*

There are nine selectable scene modes included on the Canon SD500, though most point-and-shoot digital cameras in this price range offer between 10 and 20 scene modes. The following scene modes are available: Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Underwater, Indoor, Kids & Pets, and Night Snapshot.The SD500 does include night and portrait scene modes, but surprisingly lacks the basic landscape mode that is oh-so-essential for those vacations to national parks. Scene modes can be found when the "Func. Set" button is pressed; they appear as icons and can be scrolled through with live views of the lighting changes. The limited preset selection is particularly disappointing when coupled with the camera’s lack of manual exposure controls. Generally manufacturers will equip cameras with either a range of manual controls, to enable users to work out the details, or the camera will include an expansive list of presets to help orient the camera to the specific shooting situation. With the limited preset selections available, users are left to a strict point-and-shoot interface.

Control Options

**Manual Control Options
**A few manual control options, including exposure compensation, ISO, and white balance, are available for users to tinker with. Unfortunately, the camera lacks the shutter speed and aperture controls that many $500 (USD) cameras boast, but the SD500 doesn’t come up short in the manual white balance mode. It is easy to set with on-screen text directions.

**Focus ***

Auto (6.0)*

The SD500 has a 9-point AiAF Smart auto focus system that focuses fairly quickly, but has a mind of its own. The point of focus is not selectable, so the camera will only focus on what is closest to it. Also, users have the option to determine whether the AiAF is on or off, but that is all the selection available — there are no AF modes offered. This invariably leads to focusing difficulties in shots where the subject is not easily discernible or centered within the composition. For wider landscapes and shots with extended planes of depth, the likelihood of attaining the desired focus is quite slim. This is one of the camera's glaring flaws.

The SD500 does include an AF-assist beam to aid focusing in low light; this feature can be turned on and off in every recording mode. For added simplicity and user awareness, when the LCD screen is used as a viewfinder, green boxes are placed around the portion of the picture that is in focus. The camera can normally focus from 1.6 feet to as far as the lens can see. When the camera is switched into Macro mode, the SD500 can focus from 2 inches to 1.6 feet when the lens is zoomed out and 1-1.6 feet when the lens is zoomed in tight on a subject. There is also an Infinity mode that focuses from 9.8 feet. This is best used while shooting landscapes. The through-the-lens auto focus is activated like the auto focus on most digital cameras — when the shutter release button is partially depressed.
*

Manual (0.0)*

There is no manual focus option on the PowerShot SD500. However, users of this camera probably won’t miss this option; its auto focus works well and compact cameras don’t have a good track record with manual focus anyway.

**Metering ***(7.0)*

This digital camera has metering options common to most compact digital cameras. There is a default Evaluative metering mode that measures images in several points within the frame. A Center-Weighted option measures only from the center; the Spot option measures from a smaller point in the center. These are expected options, but unlike the lack of conventional AF modes, they are fortunately included in the SD500.

**Exposure ***(7.0)*

The Canon PowerShot SD500 uses a Program AE exposure control system that can be adjusted in the standard +/- 2 EV range in 1/3 steps.


White Balance ***(7.5)*
**The camera’s white balance menu can be found midway down the list of icons when the "Func. Set" button is pushed. When users scroll through the white balance options, they can see the lighting change — and hopefully make an informed decision about which mode to use. The following modes are available: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, and Custom. The manual white balance is easy to set, as directions appear onscreen. These options should appease most users and allow for proper color calibration under a variety of lighting conditions.


ISO*(7.0)*

The ISO options can be found on the same screen with the white balance. The following options also show live views when scrolled through: Auto, 50, 100, 200, and 400. The live view of ISO settings is actually fairly rare among compact cameras and does provide additional assistance to the user, though it does not completely portray the degradation of quality that will ensue from the pushed sensitivity ratings.

**Shutter Speed ***(2.0)*

The Canon PowerShot SD500 uses a hybrid mechanical and electronic shutter to capture images at speeds of 15 seconds to 1/2000th of a second. Although users cannot set the shutter speed in most shooting modes, there is some manual control granted over the slower shutter speeds. A Long Shutter mode allows users to select from the following speeds: 1, 1.3, 1.6, 2, 2.5, 3.2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 13, and 15 seconds. If the Long Shutter option is not selected, there is no opportunity for user control and the camera is left to automatically set the shutter duration. When the camera senses a shutter speed that is slower than 1.3 seconds, it will operate with additional noise reduction technology.

**Aperture ***(0.0)*

The Canon SD500 has an aperture range from f/2.8-f/7.1 in the widest setting and a range of f/4.9-f/13 in full telephoto. Sorry manual control freaks--only the camera can select the aperture setting for the shot. This may be disappointing to many users who might expect to find manual exposure control in a $500 digital camera, but users of the SD500 are primarily paying for style and megapixels. So if you’re a traveling photographer who likes to blow up your automatic snapshots beyond 16 x 20, this is the camera for you!

Image Parameters

Picture Quality**/ Size Options ***(7.0)*

Five image sizes are all available in the three compression settings of Superfine, Fine, and Normal. The following 4:3 formatted resolutions are available: 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, and 640 x 480. These sizes can be found within the same menu as the white balance and ISO by pushing the "Func. Set" button. Users can scroll through the JPEG options of L, M1, M2, Postcard, or Small. Luckily, these letters are accompanied by the actual numbers on the LCD screen. Although for packing 7.1 megapixels, the SD500 doesn’t have as many image size options as expected.

**Picture Effects Mode ***(8.0)*

The Canon PowerShot SD500 has one of the most expansive color modes available on a digital camera. With a designated My Colors mode, users can add some pretty advanced effects without ever uploading images into Photoshop. The My Colors mode can be found at the top of the "Func. Set" menu. When it is selected, users can choose from the following options: Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Red, Vivid Green, Color Accent, Color Swap, and Custom Color. (The Color Accent mode is the effect you want if you want to recreate those black and white pictures that have a single red rose in it.) The Canon PowerShot SD500's Color Accent mode works best with primary colors, but is not flattering with skin tones. The Color Swap mode works best with bright primary colors too. Users can swap the blue sky for a red shirt. When photographers choose colors to swap or accent, they have to find the color within the image and frame it in a square that is superimposed on the LCD screen. In the Custom Color mode, users can adjust the red, green, and blue channels in five steps each — with an additional Skin Tones adjustment.

When the camera is not in the My Colors mode, it has a smaller selection of basic color modes: Vivid, Neutral, Low Sharpening, Sepia, and Black & White.

Connectivity / Extras

Connectivity
Software (7.0)

The SD500 comes with a Digital Camera Solution Disk Ver. 23.0 CD-ROM. It takes almost 10 minutes for the computer to install and restart. The disk includes three software programs: ZoomBrowser EX, PhotoStitch, and PhotoRecord. The ZoomBrowser is the editing software; it has simple cropping and color adjustment commands — and even a red-eye correction — but not much beyond that. It’s not the most intuitive software program, but works pretty well once deciphered. There are three modes to view pictures in ZoomBrowser: Zoom mode, Scroll mode, and Preview mode. Zoom mode displays large thumbnails of images. Scroll mode displays the thumbnails smaller. The Preview mode shows the thumbnails on the bottom of the screen, with the highlighted thumbnail in a larger window complete with file information to the side. With ZoomBrowser, photographers can rate their photos with one, two, or three stars. They can view histograms and file information, easily export pictures to wallpaper, screensavers, or CDs, and display full-screen slide shows. The PhotoStitch program is solely for piecing pictures together; it can stitch the pictures automatically or users can make their lives difficult and try to do it themselves. The PhotoRecord software is for consumers who want to make scrapbooks, but don’t have the time. This program supplies users with decorative templates to place photographs on before printing. Users can add captions with different colors and fonts before printing their scrapbook.

**

Jacks, ports, plugs (6.5)

The SD500 has two jacks beneath one port cover: USB 2.0 Hi-Speed and A/V out. The latter is NTSC and PAL selectable within the setup menu. This camera does not have a DC in jack for external power; the battery must be taken out and plugged into the included charger instead of recharging directly in the camera.

**

Direct Print Options (7.5)

Printing is simplified on the SD500 with the Print/Share button that lights up with an LED when files are being transferred and printed. This Digital ELPH is DPOF compliant and can print to PictBridge compatible printers via its USB connection.

Memory (5.0)

This Digital ELPH comes with a 32 MB Secure Digital card and is only compatible with SD memory cards. There is no internal memory included.

**Other features ***(6.5)*
*Self-Timer — *The camera can be set to snap the shot 2 or 10 seconds after the shutter release button is pressed. It also has a custom self-timer function that lets users choose a time delay between 1 and 30 seconds and how many pictures to take at the end of that delay — between 1 and 10. The camera has an orange LED and accompanying beeps (the noise can be turned off) that indicates when the camera will capture the picture.

Display Languages— The following languages are available for display menus: English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Portuguese, Greek, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Traditional Chinese, Korean, and Japanese.

My Camera Settings— The start-up image and sound can be changed, as well as the operation sound, self-timer sound, and shutter sound. Images and sounds can be supplied by the camera or downloaded with the supplied software.

**

*Box Contents — *User Guide, System Map, Quick Start Guide, Software Starter Guide, Direct Print User Guide, Product Registration Guide, Canon Limited Warranty, Digital Camera Solution Disk Ver. 23.0 Software, A/V out and USB cables, Canon lithium-ion battery pack NB-3L, plastic battery cover, battery charger, wrist strap, 32 MB Secure Digital memory card, and of course — the Canon PowerShot SD500. Most of the contents are self-explanatory except for the System Map, which shows what is included in the box and what optional accessories are also available.

Optional Accessories— The PowerShot SD500 is compatible with the Canon HF-DC1 high-power flash and the Canon WP-DC70 waterproof case, which can come with a WW-DC1 case weight.  

*Coach Edition Gift Set *— This optional set is for the trend-setters. It comes with a Coach-brand leather carrying case and a metal neck strap (which I don’t think would be very comfortable, but is apparently very trendy).

*Sleep Mode – *The SD500 also has a sleep mode, which saves battery power. Canon’s Intelligent Orientation sensor can detect when the camera is picked up and will wake it from its sleep mode. And this camera does need to save its battery power; the battery only lasts 160 shots with the LCD on, though it can take 550 pictures with the screen off.

Overall Impressions

**Value ***(6.0)*

Consumers should make sure they know what they're looking for before dropping $499.99 on the Canon PowerShot SD500. The camera has a few manual options such as white balance and exposure compensation, but lacks control of the shutter speed and aperture. The SD500 has 7.1 megapixels, which in theory is good enough to print nice 20 x 30-inch prints. However, most people that want to print pictures of that size also want more manual control. If consumers want great 8 x 10-inch prints, they can get those from the 5-megapixel SD400, which sells for a hundred bucks less. If consumers really do want massive amounts of megapixels, they could opt for the Sony P200, which packs automatic modes with a 7.2-megapixel CCD and also sells for a hundred bucks less. It seems like the SD500’s $499 price tag buys style and megapixels, so if that’s what you’re after, look no further; otherwise, unless you have money to burn, there are much better deals out there.

Comparisons
[

Canon PowerShot SD400*](../specs/Canon/Powershot%20SD400.htm)*— This digital camera was released alongside the SD500 and shares many of the same features. The 3x optical zoom lens, 2-inch LCD, and modes are the same. However, there are a few differences. The SD400 packs 5 effective megapixels on a smaller 1/2.5-inch CCD. The SD400 also sticks to the traditional sharp lines of the Digital ELPH line, sacrificing some of the stylistic integrity of its sibling but selling for a more reasonable $399.99 price tag.

**

  • **[

Casio Exilim EX-Z750](../content/First-Impressions-Casio-Exilim-EX-Z750.htm)*— This model targets the same style-driven point-and-shoot audience as the SD500, but adds a little more flexibility to its shooting options with more manual control. The camera body is not quite as attractive as the SD500’s, but still keeps a slim and flat profile for easy transportation. The 7.2-megapixel Z750 has a 1/1.8-inch CCD, 3x optical zoom, and an impressive 2.5-inch LCD screen. Selling for $449.99, the Z750 adds several movie modes — most notably its Past Movie Mode — but lacks the ease of use that the SD500 offers.

[

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P200*](../content/Sony-Cyber-shot-DSC-P200-First-Impressions-Review.htm)*— This Sony digital camera looks similar to its P-series cohorts, with a flat rectangular body that has one rounded side. The 7.2-megapixel Cyber-shot has a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2-inch LCD screen. It retails for $399 and offers manual control of shutter speed and aperture.

 *

*[

Fujifilm FinePix Z1](../specs/Fuji/FinePix%20Z1.htm)— Fujifilm entered the ultra-slim and sleek market of digital cameras with the introduction of the Z1, which aims to reinvigorate the trendy camera market. The 5.1-megapixel Z1 has automatically oriented modes similar to those of the SD500 and sells for a bit less at $449.95. This camera has a telescopic 3x optical zoom lens that stays inside the camera at all times rather than extending beyond the surface of the camera body. With a 2.5-inch LCD screen on the back of a uniquely rugged camera body, constructed from a single sheet of metal, the Z1 has strength and a sex appeal that the SD500 just can’t live up to.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters— This camera is made for point-and-shooters who want to win the megapixel war. It comes fully equipped with automatic and scene modes and is easy to use right out of the box.

Budget Consumers— This category of consumers is likely to be scared by the $499 price tag, even though 7.1 megapixels are offered. Budget consumers or those interested in getting the most for their money should look elsewhere.

Gadget Freaks— The Color Swap mode will keep gadget freaks busy whitening their teeth and taking stains out of their shirts with this cool, in-camera option. However, there is not much for the gadget-inclined audience beyond the My Colors mode.

Manual Control Freaks— Manual control freaks will be freaked out that there is no aperture control and only partial shutter speed control on the SD500. It does have an easy manual white balance setting, but that probably won’t be enough to attract those true manual control lovers.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists— Pros and serious hobbyists will be extremely disappointed in the lack of manual options and the fact that the camera has trouble staying steady on a tripod because of its slightly curved bottom surface. The lack of AF settings will also deter most serious hobbyists who will likely view the sparse selection offerings as insufficient.

Conclusion

Conclusion

The Canon PowerShot SD500 now leads the Digital ELPH-line with 7.1 megapixels on a large 1/1.8-inch CCD, though it strays from the sharp lines of the previous models. With its Perpetual Curve Design and compact body, the digital camera has a stylish look that can easily fit in a shirt pocket. The SD500 has many impressive features, including a custom self-timer that can be set from 1-30 seconds, a nice range of movie modes with an offered 60-frame-per-second Fast Frame Rate setting, as well as an exhausting selection of color modes that may lead users to abandon Photoshop altogether. The SD500’s most glaring omission is the lack of manual controls offered at its price point. At $499, consumers are purely paying for style and megapixels. While both are provided, the majority of consumers are not looking to make 20 x 30-inch prints of snapshots. While the PowerShot SD500 is an easily portable digital camera with an abundance of features, intrigued consumers should be sure that the camera’s limitations will not get in their way before purchasing.

Specs

Specs Table
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Meet the tester

Emily Raymond

Emily Raymond

Editor

Emily Raymond is a valued contributor to the Reviewed.com family of sites.

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